C-BO - ORCA

C-BO

ORCA

2012

C-BO back like he never left! This album is fucking great!

From the opening title track you know you're in

for a treat and they keep coming throughout the album!

1. Orca
Like i said, a treat. C-Bo goes off over a truly
exhilarating beat and this marks everything. 5/5
2. 187 ft. WC
Great little intro and then the west comes-a-knockin!
Dope ass Dre-like beat with C and Dub perfect on it! 5/5
3. I Hustle
Unusual production following 187, but this is infectious
like a mutha! Dope hook. 5/5
4. Bullets ft. Slim The Mobster & King T
Awesome features over a beat that falls a little
behind Tony Yayo's 'Bullet's Whistle'. Still tight. 4/5
5. For Nothing ft. Dubb 20
Took some time but this one is a silent killer! 4.5/5
6. Lyfe Is A Gamble ft. Yukmouth & The Realest
Sick track and so glad it features Yukmouth.
The Realest is always on point. 5/5
7. Addictive ft Slick Pulla, Brotha Lynch Hung
Another fly joint with smooth production. 
Lovin Brotha Lynch, always. 4.5/5
8. Bitch Im Ballin ft. Paul Wall
Just like 'I Hustle', you just can't knock it! 
The hook is retarded of course but who cares here! 5/5
9. Murder One ft. Mc Eiht & B.G. Knocc Out
Man, the features on this album are SICK!
Now Mc Eiht comes correct  on this really dope track.
(which reminds me of Deuces Wild from Killer Mike) 5/5
10. Getting To The Money ft. B-Legit
Seriously, i'm lovin all the guests. B-Legit on a truly
fitting track right up his alley. Dope! 5/5
11. Waiting On Me
A little generic maybe but C-Bo can sell ice to an eskimo.
And he slays this type of beat. 4.5/5
12. New Beginning ft. Rydah J. Klyde, T-Nutty & Marvaless
Pretty fly track with a nice build-up. Could've done without
Marvaless perhaps, but it's all good. 4/5
13. Killas Like Me ft. Kokane Killa Tay & Lil Cyco
Classic West Coastin down the B L V D. Kokane is
such a dope addition to anything! 5/5
14. No Warning ft. Young Buck
Not sure how Young Buck made the album, but this
track is really cool and Buck is allright. 4/5
15. Can't Grind Forever
Lovin the blaxploitation sample. Great track. 5/5
16. Fuckin Wit It ft. E-40
Yes! E Feezy in the house, finally! But the beat unfortunately
kills my excitement. They could've done so much better. 
You'd think, until 40 rips his verse! He's god, for real. 4/5

The killer whale of the hood has done it again. C-bo dropped
a truly great fuckin West Coast album that can measure up
to pretty much anything of the last 10 years, on any coast!

Overall Score: 9.4/10

PRODIGY - H.N.I.C. 3

PRODIGY

H.N.I.C. 3

2012

Not much good has been said about Prodigy's latest effort.

I know lyrically P isn't all that anymore, but i enjoy this

album for what it is. I have to say as much as i love
Mobb Deep and the first H.N.I.C., it took awhile
to fully get myself to sit down and bump this album.
But when I did, I was pleasantly surprised after all.
The first three tracks are killer with the kind of rawness
that sells tracks to me despite the apparent lack of
a smooth or soulful melody i'm usually a sucker for
(eg. track four 'My Angel') cultivating in straight up
dopeness with Pretty Thug. Mean mug all the way.
'Co-Pilot' has a really dope vibe to it and thankfully
Wiz fuckin Khalifa doesn't ruin it too much in the end.
(does that dude ever flow and not fuckin pause
after every 6 words? fuckin lame i swear).
Another nice cut with a really smooth vibe is
'Live' which is just awesome to just listen to.
But then tracks like 'Make It Hot' and 'Get Money'
 are just a no no. This the type of bullshit that
just doesn't fit on certain rapper's albums.
The subpar production continues with 'Life Is...'
though it's slightly better than previous two tracks.
Still, not good P. Whack hook on top.
'Award Show Life' is getting there again, but really
this feels like a filler joint that doesn't offer much.
When Havoc finally comes to play, it's all good again, 
though i did expect a lot more...but it's a nice cut.
The rest of the album continues to just sit above
mediocre with the only real stand out 'Let Me Show You'
though it's still not classic M.O.B.B. The last track with T.I.
is an odd pairing but so was P & B.G. and that was tight .

1. Without Rhyme Or Reason 4.5/5
2. Slept On 4/5
3. Pretty Thug 5/5
4. My Angel 5/5
5. Co-Pilot 4/5
6. Live 5/5
7. Make It Hot 2.5/5
8. Get Money 2.5/5
9. Life Is What You Make It 3/5
10. Award Show Life 3/5
11. Who You Bullshittin ft. Havoc 4/5
12. Skull & Bones 4/5
13. Smack That Bitch 3/5
14. Let Me Show You 4.5/5
15. Gangsta Love 3/5
16. What's Happening 4/5

Overall is not a bad album per se but with lackluster lyrics
and one half of the album mediocre production this album just
doesn't rise above what P should've been able to deliver here.

Overall Score: 8/10

PHILTHY RICH - KILL ZONE

PHILTHY RICH

KILL ZONE

2012

1. The Truth 

Opening track that delivers with solid rhymes
and a dope beat with eerie sounds. 4.5/5
2. To Whom It May Concern (Letter To The Bay)
Now this is a great track. More of the same
awesome production and Philthy giving it
to you raw. Sick piano on the hook. 5/5
3. All I Have ft. Sam
Another dope cut with a nice little hook.
Loving the instruments in the beat. 5/5
4. They Aint Authentic
Turning up the hardcore with this one.
There's just something about Philthy that
hooks you in. Dude is just raw. 4.5/5
5. Kill Zone
Man, this track is ridiculous. Awesome
intro that turns straight into one of the best
cuts of the album. Harder than a mutha. 4.5/5
6. A Seminary Nigga
Prolly one of my favourite cuts here. If you can
truly experience the bass, this is hella dope.
You can get lost with this one. 5/5
7. Project Living
Not hyped about this one. Nothing special. 3.5/5
8. My Mex Bitch
Typical Philthy track that does the trick. 4/5
9. Money To Be Made
More gangsta shit. At this stage Philthy proves
he doesn't switch things up that much with his raps,
but he still grabs your attention. 4/5
10. True Religion Shawty
Beat is pretty chill and more of the same
from Philthy, but it's just golden. His flow here
seems a lil more hyper and i love it. 4.5/5
11. Light It Up
Awesome track. Great sample and everything
is just perfect here from beat to rhymes. 5/5
12. I'm Just Pimpin
The mechanics always deliver and this is another
solid joint with Philhty getting his Messy Marv on. 4/5
13. Renegade Alert.
Well damn man. Philthy goes so fuckin hard here
blasting on all his past hoes (even does the video justice),
it's just ridiculous. Only Philthy. 5/5
14. #TeamPhilthy
Dope beat once again and lovin the hook. 5/5
15. Insecure
Nice little joint here with a great feel and hook. 5/5
16. 3 Bitches At The Same Time
Getting cozy and smooth ere. It's dope. Period 4.5/5
17. Thinking Of You
With a sample like this you can't go wrong. 
Philithy does it proper but it could've been more. 4/5
18. Fallen Soldiers
Kind of feels short in ways, but it's allright. 3.5/5
19. I'll Find A Way
A-typical for Philhty but i like it's on the album. 4.5/5
20. Dead Beat
Perfect way to end the album. Deep shit. 4.5/5

Truthfully, Philthy Rich doesn't really add much different
to the game or offer anything special per se, but he sure
is consistent and knows exactly what he's about and can do.
As great as he is, there's so many more artists out of the bay
i put ahead of him, but i still look forward to everything he does.
He's an acquired taste allright, but to those who love him,
he just delivers with every album as he does with this one. 
Just bump it front to back on repeat and just chill to it, and
let it grow on you with every listen. You'll be surprised.
Overall Score: 9/10

JUVENILE - REJUVENATION

JUVENILE

REJUVENATION

2012

It's good to know some things don't change.

Clap that azz if you will...
1. Rejuvenation
Nothing special here. Beat is kinda annoying. 2.5/5
2. Power (ft. Rick Ross)
Now here we go, this is some sick shit.
Crazy beat with Juvenile sounding great!
Ross ain't bad either (he's always been better 
as a feature). Great start. 5/5
3. Can't Stop My Money
Nothing feeling the hook too much but
the verses are great over a sub-par beat. 4/5
4. Mardi Gras
Awesome beat with Juve going off! 
Meek mill knock off or not. 5/5
5. Lost My Mind
Silly hook but i kind love it. Dope track! 5/5
6. Imma Get Rich
These type of N.O. party tracks never get old.
Drumma Boy really 'catered' here. 5/5
7. Fall Back (ft. Z-Ro & Trae)
Great guests! So kind of a shame the beat
and whole track is lackluster. 3/5
8. Bad Guy
Very different track, but i'm feeling it.
Juve's verses are what sell this one. 3.5/5
9. Ahh Haa
That synth kills it. But then the beat drops and
it's not all bad. So so track i do bump to. 3.5/5
10. I'm Yo People (ft. Young Juve & Skip)
It's good to see UTP is still in play, but these
tracks are not doing it. 3/5
11. Got It Like That (ft. Skip & Wacko)
A little better than the previous track
but still nothing to write home to. 3.5/5
12. Still Here (ft Skip & Wacko)
Again with the shitty synths. Not sure who's
responsible, but Mannie Fresh is sorely missed.
But! The R&B hook is hella nice and this is the 
best one out of the UTP joints. 4.5/5
13. Ain't What You Want
I'm going to pretend Juve didn't stoop to this. 0/5
14. Toast To The Good Life
Juve is great with the verses but the backdrop
and lesser RnB hook bring it down a little at first. 
But keep listening and it sucks you in somehow. 4/5


I mean this is nothing like the good 'ol Hot Boys days
when 400 Degreez and even Project English were dropped.
Still there's a hint of Juve The Great here and there.
Just wish next time around the production would back
up Juve a little bit more, and all the way. And maybe
bring back Mannie and some more N.O. features.
(not talking about Lil Wayne though)

Overall Score: 8/10
(for clarification, my 8/10 would be considered a 5-6/10
for most other reviewers)

MMG - SELF MADE 2

MAYBACH MUSIC GROUP

SELF MADE 2

2012

Fuck, what a huge disappointment!

With Pill out the picture and adding Stalley & Omarion

instead, things were bound to stink. But I didn't imagine

it to be this bad. On top of that way too much

French Montana for my taste. That dude sucks major ass!

Regardless there are a few bright spots after a few more
attempts to try and sit through the entire album.
The first track "power circle" is a good example.
This one is actually pretty fly which would have
fit nicely on the first one. The piano play is awesome.
But then Kendrick Lamar opens his fuckin trap and
it's downhill from there. "Black Magic" is just too
much and milking the whole style, "This Thing
Of Ours" is too little and too pussy. Omarion
has lost any shred of respect he ever had here.
It just continues from there with ugly beats
that just get buried even more by ugly flows
and raps that kinda piss me off. I just could not
sit through this without cringing. 
Nipsey Hussle is another tiny bright spot, but
who cares at this point. Especially being followed
by such a turd of a track like 'I Be Puttin On'.
I mean, this is embarrassing for all cats involved.
This is what's wrong with rap today. 
All pussy and pretend-gangster with retard flows
and no musical feeling whatsoever.
Fuck this shit, seriously. One of the year's
worst along with all the other fags, Future,
Wiz Khalifa, Tyler, Schoolboy Q, French Montana,
Asap Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, etc...kill yo' self!
Overall Score: 1/10

LIL WYTE - STILL DOUBTED

LIL WYTE 

STILL DOUBTED

2012

Even without Paul & Juice on the boards this is Memphis rap 

at it's finest. Another dope album under Wyte's belt for sure

with some serious standout tracks and great features!
1. Intro
2. I Do It 
With all his other albs, the first track was always
straight killer and set the alb off in the right way.
Here i don't feel the same. The beat doesn't offer
much though Wyte comes with some nice verses. 
Still, Lil Wyte is back! 4/5
3. Stoner Night
Love the saxophone here. The combination of
those hard memphis drums with the mellow musical
vibes is just dope. The hook could be a little more 
engaging but damn this is a nice track. 4.5/5
4. Sold My Soul ft. Pastor Troy
Boi oh boi, Troy & Wyte together on a track alone
makes me smile in advance, but the track is even
better than it promises! Absolutely love this. 
Vintage 'face/off' Troy too. 5/5
5. U Don't Know Me
Hard beat that doesn't go all the way. Wyte can't
lift it much higher either, but not bad overall. 3.5/5
6. All Kinds Of Drugs ft. Young Buck & Lil Will
Not feeling the beat too much. Too generic and lacking
melody, same for the verses and hook. 3/5 
7. Show Some Skin ft. Bubba Sparxxx
Another tight collabo i always wished would happen.
And it pays off. Now this beat is how it's done.
That plus a way better hook and sick verses,
that's what i'm talking bout. And finally some
new Bubba Sparxxx! 5/5
8. I'm Going Home ft. Big Lazy
Well, flipping it with this one. And it's awesome.
The hook is golden and Wyte's verses over an
eerie beat sucking you in, is all i want really. 5/5
9. Call Us (interlude)
No Wyte on here (hence interlude), and it shows
a little. Lesser beat and raps. 3/5
10. M.E.M.P.H.I.S. ft Al Kapone
Nice rep song. Shit goes hard and it's awesome
to see Al Kapone on here. Good lookin Wyte! 4.5/5
11. Gun Down ft. Frayser Boy & Partee
Frayser Boy & Lil Wyte always work great together.
Another solid track. Love the horrorcore memphis vibe. 4.5/5
12. Welcome 2 The Gathering ft. Lord Infamous
Keeping the M-Town flowing with this one.
Unusual beat and so different from Paul & Juice's
production, but Wyte is dope on it. Lord Infamous drops
a worthy 'triple six' verse and it's great to hear this
in 2012 like nothing ever changed. Dope! 4.5/5
13. Yea Hoe ft. Shamrock
Can't front, the slightest Paul/Juice influence and
shit knocks your boots off. Sick track. 5/5
14. Get Em Out Of Durr ft. Partee
Nice track, but nothing special per se, though
i do like the wyte's verses and lyrics. 4/5
15. Sike ft. Miscellaneous
Well fuck, this i would not expect. At least not the
fact that is is dope as fuck! Crazy! 5/5
16. Lesson Learned
Another type of beat you wouldn't see Wyte on,
but once again he kills it. Great verses. 4.5/5
17. Money Train Gang
Shiiit, if this doesn't make you hyper. Fuck it! 5/5
18. Wyte Speaks
19. Money ft. Miss Wyte, Partee & Project Pat
My favourite track. Everything here is perfect. 
I love a fast-flow-wyte and it's why he's still
in my top 10. Pat is equally dope. 5/5
20. Lost In My Zone
First single and when i first heard i was afraid the
new type of production would hurt Wyte in a way. 
But just like this track, it grows on you and it's
just a nice change-up. 5/5


Take this for what it is and the real Lil Wyte fans 
will really appreciate this album and bump it front
to back and just vibe to it. There's only a few filler
type tracks, but the overall feeling when listening
to the album (especially in the background) is
very satisfying and I love it. Period. Still,
it's no "Blame It On The Bay"!

Overall Score: 9/10

JOEY BADASS - 1999

JOEY BADA$$

1999

2012

Dude is only 17 and oozes classic Hip Hop

thanks to some amazing production that brings

you way back the Illmatic days...good lord, this is sick!
Not even doing a track by track review cuz
basically it's the same all over: Tight beats
that take you way back with awesome flows
from Joey and his Pro Era camp (T'nah Apex is great).
It's so refreshing to hear the true new york
hip hop sound from the 90's again. Boom-Bap!
(and great Pac sample on Waves btw!)
1. Summer Knights 3/5
2. Waves 5/5
3. FromdaTomb$ 5/5
4. Survival Tactics 5/5
5. Killuminati 4/5
6. Hardknock 5/5
7. World Domination 3.5/5
8. Pennyroyal 4/5
9. Funky Ho'$ 4/5
10. Daily Routine 5/5
11. Snakes 5/5
12. Don't Front 4/5
13. Righteous Minds 5/5
14. Where It'$ At 4/5
15. Suspect 5/5

Overall Score: 8.9/10

STEVIE STONE - ROLLIN STONE

STEVIE STONE

ROLLIN' STONE

2012

Tech N9ne presents...That's all you need to know.

That and Stevie is a beast. This goes real hard and should

not go unnoticed! Sick production and Stevie killing

every verse. What more do you want!
Stevie's voice is pretty 'hardcore' and some people
might not like his type of roughness but really once
you get used to him and get his talent on the mic 
you're in for yet another Strange Music treat.
1. Intro
2. Get Buck
Perfect example of my above statement. 
Awesome beat and Stevie flows over it like
it's nothing. Last verse is amazing. 5/5
3. 808 Bendin ft. Tech N9ne
Having Tech on this i expected a lot, but
the beat is the setback here. Not bad but
because Tech is Tech, you expect greatness
every damn time he features. And though his verse
is pretty tight, it's not quite a classic cut. 3.5/5
4. Perfect Stranger
Man this is dope. Even without Krizz Kaliko, Stevie
holds his own on the hook and it works. 4.5/5
5. Cash Out ft. Krizz Kaliko
Nice collabo joint with Kaliko but it never really
lifts off for me. 3.5/5
6. Keep My Name Out Ya Mouth ft. Kutt Calhoun
This reminds me of the good ol' New Orleans type
tracks back in the days. This could've been on
Body Headbangerz for those who remember. 5/5
7. Oneness ft. Peetah Morgan
The combination of a hard beat like this with the
jamaican hook is pretty golden in my book. 
Stevie's verses go hard on this on top. I love it! 5/5
8. My Remedy (skit)
9. My Remedy
Awesome piano melody that sucks you straight in.
Stevie's hook and verses are the cherry on top. 5/5
10. Dolalr General ft. Yelawolf
Nice to see a Yelawolf feature here and it's one of the
best tracks of the album. The beat is sick and both
Stevie and Yelawolf kill it. Stevie reminds of 
DMX is certain spots. Do wish Yela had a verse aswell, 
that felt kinda lackluster to me. 5/5
11. Raw Talk ft. Hopsin & Swizzz
Not feeling the beat, the rest doesn't matter. 2.5/5
12. Goin Down ft. Big Scoob & Spaide Ripper
Another very mediocre beat that doesn't allow any of
the artists to shine. A true filler joint. 2.5/5
13. Mosh
Third consecutive track i don't care for. 2.5/5
14. 2 Far
Not bad and it does grow on you. 4.5/5
15. My Life
Very mellow and slow track but man this is nice!
A track to just close your eyes to and enjoy. 5/5
16. The Road ft. M.A.G.num P.I., Wreckonize, Bernz
Should've hold more punch in the hook maybe , but the
verses are pretty frickin dope from everyone. 5/5


Apart from those three tracks toward the end, this album 
is really great and fits in perfect in Strange Music's catalogue.
Expect more great things from Stevie and let's hope
him and Tech can provide something better next time around. 

Overall Score: 8.9/10

BLANCO & YUKMOUTH - COOKIES N CREAM

BLANCO & YUKMOUTH

COOKIES N CREAM

2012

Blanco is dope. Period. After his collabo album with Nipsey Hussle, 

'RAW', also entirely produced by Cookin' Soul, he teams up with none

other than Yukmouth and delivers one hell of an EP!

The production on here is top notch and a great backdrop for

Blanco who always comes through and Yukmouth who really shines.

Yuk on these type of beats is sick and i wish he wil soon drop

an album similar to what David Banner did with 9th Wonder,

'Death Of A Popstar' or Mistah FAB's latest tapes. Speaking of

Mistah F.A.B., his verse on Warheads was the cherry on top here!

That whole track is bananas and a perfect example why Yuk

should go into that direction. Same for 'Rocky Road', 'Hot Tamales'

There's two tracks that don't really fit, but it's forgiven.

"Whoppers" & "Pop Rocks". They're not bad, but just don't fit.

Still, with only 7 tracks, it's kind of a shame. And why only an EP??

Anyway, this shit is a dope release and i hope more will come of this.

Also peep out the video for "Rocky Road" feat. The Jacka. Awesome!

1. Airheads (ft. Dru Down, Richie Rich, B-Legit) 5/5

2. Warheads (ft. Phil Da Agony, Mistah F.A.B.) 5/5

3. Hot Tamales (ft. Krondon, Mitchy Slick) 5/5

4. Rocky Road (ft. The Jacka) 5/5

5. Whoppers (ft. Stevie Joe, The Jacka) 4/5

6. Payday (ft. Ampichino) 5/5

7. Pop Rocks (ft. Lee Majors, Lil Rue) 4/5

Overall Score: 9.2/10

YUKMOUTH - HALFBAKED - 2012

YUKMOUTH

HALFBAKED

2012

I don't even know where to begin to be honest.
The slew of tight features, the beat selection, 
the variety and easy transaction between
banging tracks and smooth tracks, Yuk killing
every verse on every fuckin song. Shit!
This album is truly bananas! 
Let me touch on the different joints on here.
From tracks like the amazing "Cobain" (that hook is
just flat out one of the dopest this year) to
"Rollin Stoned" or "Try Me", smooth songs with some
tight ass sampling. It's all covered. Even the dirty south
comes to play with the great collabo track "Smoke Sumthen".
Yukmouth truly murders his verse on this type of beat.
It's just awesome man. Seriously Front to back this album
is pure enjoyment and one of the year's finest.
1. Get Lifted 5/5
2. Fire ft. Lee Majors, The Jacka & Ampichino 5/5
3. Cookies And Bo ft. B-Legit & Cellski 4.5/5
4. A Million Miles Away ft. Black Judah & Govmatic 4/5
5. Smoke Sumthen ft. Z-Ro & K.B. 5/5
6. Step Ya Weed Game Up ft. Daz & Jayo Felony 5/5
7. Rollin Stoned ft. J-Hood & Joe Blow 5/5
8. Cobain ft. DJ Paul, Ya Boy & D-Golder 5/5
9. Put 1 In The Air ft. Matt Blaque, Lil Rue & Blanco 5/5
10. Blowin On Jamaica ft. Young Noble & C-Bo 5/5
11. Wer U From ft. Dru Down, Stevie Joe, Clyde Carson
Philthy Rich & Rah Mean 4.5/5
12. Kush Cologne ft. Belo, Freddie Gibbs, Smiggz 4/5
13. Burn It Down ft. Moses Music & Beeda Weeda 5/5
14. Try Me ft. G-Stack 5/5
15. I Need Weed (Remix) ft. Faze & Berner 4/5
16. Loud Pack ft. J.Stalin & Lee Majors 4.5/5
17. Sour ft. Styles P 5/5
18. K.O.B. ft. Chop Black, Kuzzo Fly & Murder Hase 4.5/5
19. Smell It On Me (Remix)
ft. 2 Chainz, Gudda Gudda & D-Golder 5/5

Overall Score: 9.4/10